Martial Arts: Shorin Ryu

Shorin Ryu is one of the four original Okinawan styles of karate. Shorin Ryu makes use of hand techniques more than foot techniques and uses predominately high stances. Traditional weapons are also practiced in this martial art.

Shorin-Ryu kata was developed as a system of communication and defense. Since the Japanese occupiers of Okinawa forbid the Okinawans from meeting in groups, the Okinawans developed kata. An Okinawan could meet another on the road, teach him a kata and be gone. At that time, traditional weapons such as swords were outlawed, and farming tool derivatives, such as the Nunchaku, Sai and Kama were included in many martial arts systems of Okinawan origin, including Shorin-Ryu.

Origin of Shorin Ryu: Okinawa

Founder of Shorin Ryu: Sokon Matsumura, also known as “Miyamoto Musashi of Okinawa”.

Today, Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu, as founded by Nagamine Shoshin, is often refered to as just “Shorin Ryu”. Nagamine named his school in honor of two masters of Shorin-ryu, Sokon Matsumura and Kosaku Matsumora. The Japanese kanji characters that make up the name can be prounounced either as “Matsubayashi” or as “Shorin”. This led to a whole range of names for one and the same thing, namely “Shorin Ryu, “Matsubayashi Ryu”, and “Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu”.

To distinguish today’s Shorin Ryu from the original Shorin Ryu, many schools call themselves Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu.

Thanks to the following contributor(s): Kameron